Automatic pipe-cutting machine.



D. A. MUDD. AUTOMATIC PIPE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1910.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- D. A. MUDD.

AUTOMATIC PIPE CUTTING MACHINE.

1 2110111011 FILED 1111.12.11.1910.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

3 SHEETS-8HEBT 2.

- EYE-.5

D. A. MUDD.

AUTOMATIC PIPE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOAI'ION FILED JULYBO, 1910. Mar.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

MW jiMd/dli n /&//////// DON A. MUDI), OF BOULDER, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC PIPE-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1.4, 1911.

Application filed July 30, 1910. Serial No. 574,601.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1 DON A. MUDD, a citizen of the United States, residingat Boulder, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pipe- )uttingMachines; and I do declare the following to be full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in metal working machines and moreparticularly those adapted to cut lengths of pipe into nipples or smallsections.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical machineof this character which will be entirely automatic in operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an improved cuttingdevice for severing a piece of pipe, rod or other material into sectionsof predetermined length.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of thischaracter improved means for intermittently feeding a length of a pipeto the cutting mechanism whereby it will be cut up into pieces orsections of uniform, predetermined length.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter first fully described and then particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a machineembodying my improvements and especially adapted for automaticallycutting pipe or other material into nipples or pieces of uniform length;Fig. is a top plan view of the machine; Fi 3 is an end View; Fig. 4 is avertical section taken on line 47- 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailhorizontal section taken on line 55 of Fig 1; Fig. 6 is a detail view ofthe tappet wheel; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the main frame;Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the cutting mechanism, the face platebeing removed and parts being broken away and in section; Fig. 9 is asimilar view showing the gear ring in section and the cutter ineffective position; Fig. 10 is a vertical section through the cuttingmechanism, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 101.0 inFig. 8; Fig. 11 is a side view of the gear ring; and Fig. 12 is a detailview of the cutter and its carrying lover or dog.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a main supportingframe or support which is here shown as of rectangular shape providedwith supporting legs 2, but which may be of any form and constructionadapted to support the operative parts of the machine.

3 denotes a cutter head mounted for rotation and made hollow to receivea piece of pipe, rod or other work V which is to be cut up into sectionsor otherwise operated upon according to the nature of the tool or toolswithin the cutter head. This head comprises a circular plate or flange lkeyed or otherwise secured to a hollow shaft 5 which extendslongitudinally of the main frame 1 and is journaled in suitable bearings(3. The cutter head also comprises an outer face plate or cover plate 7which is detachably secured to the plate 1: by bolts or similarfastenings 8 on the intermediate portions of which latter are arrangedspacing sleeves 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 10.

The work V is fed through a circular opening in the face plate 7 intothe hollow shaft 5 and it is operated upon by a tool 10 of any desiredform, but here illustrated as a rotary disk cutter journaled in a slotin the intermediate portion of a dog or lever 11. The latter as shown inFig. 8 has one of its ends pivoted at 12 to the plate 01' disk 4 and itsother end is angularly disposed and formed with a cam shaped enlargement13 adapted to be engaged and actuated by one or more trips l-fl: carriedby a rotary member or element 15. The latter is preferably in the formof a gear ring of channeled form in cross section and mounted in annulargrooves in the opposing faces of the plates 4t-7 as shown in Fig. 10,and the trips 14: are preferably in the form of anti-friction rollersarranged within the channel of the gear ring and mounted on transversepivot pins 16.

The rotary head 3, which consists of the spaced plates or disks 4, 7 andthe tool carrying lever 11., is adapted to be driven in the samedirection as that in which the gear ring 15 is driven, (as shown by thearrows in Figs. 8 and 9), but at a slower speed than said ring wherebythe trip rollers 14 will be caused to travel across the cam shaped end13 of the tool carrying lever 11 to move the latter inwardly andconsequently force the cutting tool 10 inwardly in a radial directionand into or through the work W. It will be seen, therefore, that whenthe machine is in operation the cutter head and gear ring will be drivenin the same direction, but at different speeds so that the tool will beintermittently moved into operative engagement with the work to out orotherwise operate upon it.

In order to retract the cutter or other tool after each operation Ipreferably employ a leaf spring 17 and arrange it as shown in Fig. 8, sothat its free end bears against the lever 11. 1 also preferably providewithin the cutting head one or more work supporting rollers 18 on whichthe pipe or other work rests and is supported when the tool is inoperation. These rollers are preferably removably journaled on studbolts 19 so that they may be replaced by rollers of other sizes topermit pipes or rods of different diameters to be operated upon by themachine.

The gear ring 15 meshes with. a pinion 20 on a main drive shaft 21journaled in bearings 22 on the main frame and disposed parallel withthe tubular shaft 5. The shaft 5 is also driven from the shaft 21 byfixing upon it a gear 23 which meshes with the pinion 2 1 on the shaft21. The pinions 202-l have the same number of teeth but the gear ring 15has a greater number of teeth than the gear 28, consequently said ringwill travel slower than the cutter head which is fixed to shaft 5.

Any means may be provided for rotating the main shaft 21, but asillustrated its rearend carries a belt wheel or pulley 25 to which powermay be applied.

My improved means for intermittently feeding the work V to the cuttingmechanism comprises a slide or carriage 26 mounted to travel on a guideframe 27 and carrying a vise 28 or other suitable clamping device forthe work. As illustrated the frame 27 consists of two tubes or pipeswhich serve as tracks for the slide or carriage 26 and which have theirinner or rear ends fixed to the frame 1 as shown in Fig. 7 and theirouter ends united by cross bars 29. The slide or carriage 26 is hereshown as a horizontally disposed metal plate having it ends bent asshown at 80 to partially surround and slide upon the tubular trackmembers 27, see 4:. The clamping device 28 as shown in Fig.4 is in theform of a screw vise bolted to the slide or carriage 26, but it will beunderstood. that any other suitable work clamping device may be employedin lieu of the one illustrated.

Deoending from the slide or carriage 26 is a bracket 31 to which isfastened an endless feed chain or equivalent element 32 adapted to beintermittently actuated to feed the slide toward the main frame andconsequently feed the pipe or other work W into and through the cuttinghead and the hollow shaft 5. The chain 32 passes around a guide sprocketwheel 38 journaled in an angle bracket 34- on one of the crossbars 29and the upper stretch of said chain preferably passes through one of thetubular track members 27, see Fig. 1. The chain 32 also passes around adrive sprocket wheel 85 fixed to a transverse shaft 36 journaled insuitable bearings in the main frame 1. Fixed to the shaft 36 is abeveled gear 37 which meshes with a beveled pinion 38 fixed to a shortshaft 39 journaled in suitable bearings as shown in Fig. 7. Keyed orotherwise fixed to the shaft is a tappet wheel 40 from which projects aplurality of radial arms adapted to be engaged and actuated by one ormore trip lugs or pins ll fixed to and projecting laterally from an.endless chain or equivalent element 12. As shown in Fig.

3 the chain 4-2 passes around a driving sprocket wheel 41:3 fixed to therear end of the hollow shaft 5 and also around a sprocket wheel 44loosely mounted as shown in Fig. 5, adjacent the tappet wheel 40. Thechain 12 must be of proper length and may pass over one or more guidesprocket wheels 45, only one of the latter being illustrated and thatone being journaled on the upper end of a standard 46 rising from themain frame.

In operation, the piece of pipe or other work to be operated upon isclamped in the vise 28 when the slide 26 is adjacent the outer end ofthe guide frame and the outer end of said pipe projects through thecutting head and into the hollow shaft 5. When power is applied to themain drive shaft 21 the shaft 5, and consequently the cutter head withthe cutter or other tool 10, is rotated in the direction of the arrow inFig. 8 and the gear ring 15 is likewise rotated in the same directionbut at a slightly slower speed. When one of the trip rollers 14 ispassed by the cam end 1550f the cutter carrying lever 11 the cutter willbe forced into the pipe to sever the same and the instant said rollerreleases the lever the spring 17 returns it from the position shown inFig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 8. The operation of the parts ofthe machine is such that after the cutter has been thus actuated thetrip lug 41 on chain 12 engages one of the arms of the tappet wheel 40and consequently aetuates the shaft 89 through a portion of arevolution. The movement of shaft 39 is imparted to the shaft 36 and thefeed chain 32, consequently the slide or carriage 26 will be shifted apredetermined distance toward the main shaft to bring the pipe l/V intoproper position with respect to the cutter 10 ready for the nextoperation 0f said cutter. The nipples or short pieces of pipe will beforced through the hollow shaft 5 and drop out of its rear end. It willbe seen, therefore, that the machine is entirely automatic in operationand will quickly and effectively cut up a piece of pipe, rod or othermaterial into sections of uniform and predetermined length for use asnipples.

\Vhile I have shown and described in detail the preferred form of myinvention, I wish it understood that various changes in the form, andproportitm and arrangement of parts and in the details of constructionmay be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention and thatthe invention may be embodied in other forms of machines for performingdifferent kinds of work.

I claim:

1. The combination of a main frame, a hollow cutting head mountedthereon, means for rotating said head, an intermittently actuated toolon said head, a guide extending from the main frame, a slide mounted onsaid guide and adapted to feed work into the cutting head, and means forintermittently moving the slide.

2. In a machine for the purpose set forth, a cutting mechanismcomprising a rotary head, a ring associated concentrically therewith,means for rotating the head and the ring in the same direction atdifferent speeds, a tool-carrying member mounted on the head andprojecting into the ring, and a series of trips carried by the ring andadapted to engage the projecting portion of the toolcarrying member.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, a cutting mechanismcomprising a rotatably mounted cutter head adapted to receive the work,a rotary element associated with said head, means for rotating said headand element in the same direction at different speeds, a spring pressedmovably mounted tool carrying member upon said head and a trip carriedby said element to engage and actuate said member.

4. In a machine of the character set forth, a cutting mechanismcomprising a rotatably mounted hollow shaft, a hollow cutter head fixedto said shaft, a rotary ring associated with said head, means forrotating said ring and said head and shaft in the same direction but atdifferent speeds, work supporting rollers in said head, a spring pressedmov aloly mounted tool carrying member in said head and having a camportion at its outer end and a series of trip rollers in said ring tocoact with said cam portion of the tool carrying member.

5. In a machine of the character set forth, a cutting mechanismcomprising a rotary cutting head composed of spaced plates adapted toreceive the work, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted and carrying saidhead,

a gear ring rotatably mounted in said head act with said member, a gearring on said.

hollow shaft, a main drive shaft rotatably mounted, and pinions on thelatter meshing respectively with said gear and said gear ring.

6. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a mainframe, a rotary cutting head thereon to receive the work, automaticmeans for intermittently feeding work into said head, a rotary elementassociated with said head, means for rotating said element and said headin the same direction at different speeds, a tool carrying member insaid head, means on the head for holding the tool-carrying member awayfrom the work, and means carried by the rotary element for moving thetool-carrying member to the work.

7. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a mainframe, a hollow shaft mounted thereon, a cutting head on said shaft, anintermittently actuated tool on said head, a guide, a slide movable onsaid guide, means carried by said slide to hold the work and feed itthrough said head and hollow shaft, and means for intermittently movingsaid slide.

8. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a mainframe, a hollow shaft mounted thereon, a cutting head on said shaft, anintermittently actuated tool on said head, a guide, a slide movable onsaid guide, means carried by said slide to hold the work and feed itthrough said head and hollow shaft, a movable endless member connectedto said slide for actuating the same, a tappet wheel, means forimparting the movement of said tappet wheel to said endless member, anda second endless member actuated from said hollow shaft and carrying atrip to coact with said tappet member.

9. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a mainframe, a hollow shaft mounted thereon, a cutting head on said shaft, anintermittently actuated tool on said head, a guide, a slide movable onsaid guide, means carried by said slide to hold the work and feed itthrough said head and hollow shaft, an endless chain connected to saidslide for moving the latter and means for guiding said chain, a drivewheel for said chain, a rotary tappet wheel geared to said drive wheel,a second endless chain carrying a trip to coact with said tappet wheel,a guide sprocket wheel for the last mentioned chain loosely mountedadjacent said tappet wheel and a driving sprocket wheel for the lastmentioned chain fixed to said hollow shaft.

10. The combination of a frame, a drive shaft mounted thereon, a hollowcutting the tool-holding member, gearing connecthead supported by theframe, a tool-holding member on the cutting head, a trip elementassociated with the cutting head to act upon means for intermittentlyconnecting said 10 means to the drive shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto .set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witing the drive shaft with the head and said nesses.

trip element to rotate the same in the same DON A. MUDD. direction atdifferent speeds, a guide pro- Witnesses: jecting from the frame, aslide mounted on G. H. GRIEsBAUER,

said guide, means for moving said slide, and Mrs. K. SMooT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Correct It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 986,937,granted March 1-1, 1911, upon the application of Don A. Mudd, ofBoulder, Colorado, for an improvement in Automatic Pipe-CuttingMachines, requiring correction as follows: Page 1, lines 1(J610S, thewords but at a slower errors appear in the printed specification speedthan said ring whereby the trip rollers 14. will be caused to travelacross th cam shaped end should he stricken out and the words but at (1fi/,sfm's z@(Z 15/1 said ring whereby the cam shaped and 13 will becaused in trawl under the trip rel/ers- 14 be inserted instead; page 2,line 1, the referenee-numeral 13 should be stricken out; and that theproper corrections have been made in the files and records of the PatentOflice, to correct an error in accordance with the report of theexaminer of May 13, 1911, and are hereby made in said Letters Patent.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of July, A. D., 1911.

E. n. MOORE,

Chmmz'ssz'oner of Patents.

[SEAL

